The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations began on Thursday.
However, the number of absent students has raised concerns, with nearly 36 percent of those who enrolled in Class XI two years ago not sitting for the examinations.
How many students are absent?
According to the Ministry of Education and the education boards, around 1.5 million students who passed the SSC and equivalent examinations in the 2024-25 academic year enrolled in Class XI.
However, only about 950,000 students have registered for this year's HSC and equivalent examinations. This means that around 550,000 regular students are not sitting for the exams. Last year, the figure stood at just over 29 percent. Within a year, it has risen to nearly 36 percent.
Board-wise picture
The rate of students not appearing for the examinations has increased across all three categories of education boards. Among the nine general education boards, 33.4 percent of regular students did not fill out examination forms. The figure is 44.7 percent under the Madrasah Education Board and 54.58 percent under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board. In other words, more than half of the regular students under the technical board are not taking the examinations.
Why is the dropout rate increasing?
The authorities have yet to identify the exact reasons behind the trend.
However, education experts believe child marriage, poverty, students entering the workforce after passing the SSC, and inadequate preparation are among the main reasons many students do not sit for the examinations. An earlier analysis by the Dhaka Education Board also found that marriage was one of the leading reasons behind the absence of a large number of students. Financial hardship and inadequate preparation were also identified as contributing factors.
What the ministry says
Education Adviser Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said the government is examining why regular students are not taking the examinations. He expressed hope that necessary measures would be taken to reduce the dropout rate after analysing the data.
Overall examination arrangements
A total of 1,270,583 candidates, including both regular and irregular students, are sitting for this year's HSC and equivalent examinations. The examinations are being held at 2,697 centres across the country. Candidates were required to enter their examination centres by 8:30am. The written examinations will conclude over 21 working days.
This year, the nine general education boards are conducting the examinations using a uniform question paper. The Ministry of Education has also warned that immediate legal action will be taken against anyone involved in question paper leaks or spreading misleading information on social media.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
